The first edition of the novel was published in 1999, and was written by ha jin. The bridegroom 2000 by chineseamerican author ha jin is a collection of. Jin s quiet but absorbing second novel after in the pond captures the poignant dilemma of an ordinary man who misses the best opportunities in his life simply by trying to do his dutyas defined fi. Waiting is the stor of lin kong, a doctor in the chinese army, trapped in an arranged, loveless marriage to shuyu who lives in a small village, a days travel. Freebooknotes found 8 sites with book summaries or analysis of waiting. Waiting by ha jin about the book winner of the 1999 national book award for fiction.
Free book waiting by ha jin kindle read djvu purchase. This is the story of lin kong, a man living in two worlds, struggling with the conflicting. Winner of the 1999 national book award for fiction, ha jins waiting is as universal, and deceptively simple as a fable, as gentle and innocent. Waiting is a 1999 novel by chineseamerican author ha jin which won the national book. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the bridegroom by ha jin. Free book waiting by ha jin find tablet pocket ipad. Lin kong doctor lin did not appreciate shuyu because she was not pretty and did. We also asked ourselves, who was waiting in this novel. This is the story of lin kong, a man living in two worlds, struggling with the conflicting claims of two utterly different women as he moves through the political minefields of a. It tells the story of lin kong, a doctor in an army hospital, who is married to shuyu, an oldfashioned, martyrlike illiterate whom lin never loved. In the following essay, simon discusses how ha jin s characters struggle with the waiting imposed on them because of love, a repressive political structure, and social customs.
But the publication of his new novel should acquaint a wider public with what has been for too long a professional semisecret. Ha jin observes everything about army and civilian life, yet he tells the reader only and precisely as much as is needed to make his deceptively simple fiction resonate on many levels. I saw this book in the bookstore and i was drawn to it. Ha jin s novel waiting was the winner of the 1999 winner of the national book award for fiction. Feb 06, 2000 xuefei pronounced shufay jin, who writes under the pen name ha jin, is a courtly and softspoken man who punctuates stories like this one with a quick, apologetic laugh a laugh that says. After reading eileen changs lust, caution, i have decided to investigate a variety of literary works outside of my anglophone comfort zone. Ha jin is also known to translate many chinese proverbs into english. Waiting s main character, lin kong, is commonly criticized as indecisive and unable to love. Ha jin writes waiting and in this book he comments and portrays communist china in great detail. Oct 19, 2010 waiting, the winner of the national book award in 1999, was written by ha jin, a contemporary chineseexpatriate writer.
Waiting is a good title for ha jins novel because it has multiple associations. His dissertation was on modernist poets such as pound, eliot, auden, and yeats because, as he told dave weich of powells city. How does ha jin overcome the danger of stasis, and the readers impatience, in constructing the novel. The more you move, the stronger youll grow, not like a tree that can be killed if you uproot it. Ylin kong is a country born doctor now practicing at an army hospital in muji city in maoist china. Ha jin has said that the idea for waiting came to him when he read a newspaper story about a woman who described her husband as loveless. This is the story of lin kong, a man living in two worlds, struggling with the conflicting claims of two utterly different women as he moves through the political minefields of a society designed to regulate his. In waiting, ha jin portrays the life of lin kong, a dedicated doctor torn by his love for two women. The book has been awarded with pulitzer prize nominee for fiction 2000. I made this trailer for the book i read, waiting by ha jin. In 1999 his novel waiting won the national book award. At first, they are instructing her with great importance about how they wish to have their afternoon tea. This quietly poignant novel of love and repression in communist china begins in 1966 when lin kong, an army doctor, falls in love with the young nurse manna wu during a forced military march.
Find all available study guides and summaries for waiting by ha jin. May 25, 2001 winner of the 1999 national book award for fiction, ha jin s waiting is as universal, and deceptively simple as a fable, as gentle and innocent as a bedtime story. Waiting is the stor of lin kong, a doctor in the chinese army, trapped in an arranged, loveless marriage to shuyu who lives in a small village, a days travel away from the. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion and a free quiz on waiting by ha jin.
Ha jin s first book, ocean of words, won the penhemingway award in 1997, and since then he has attracted a steadily growing audience, especially among other writers. Introduction author biography plot summary characters themes style historical context critical overview criticism. Jin began to educate himself in chinese literature and high school curriculum at sixteen. The book is based on a true story that jin heard from his wife when they were visiting her family at an army hospital in china. He received the national book award, two penfaulkner awards, the penhemingway award, the asian american literary award, and the flannery oconnor award, among others.
Immigrant struggles to find meaning in a free life in his first novel set in america, critically acclaimed author ha jin explores the meaning of the american dream in a free life. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Kong is a doctor with the chinese army and has become disgruntled with his wife, shuyu, from an arraigned marriage. This study guide consists of approximately 52 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of waiting. Free book waiting by ha jin kindle read djvu purchase without signing original ibooks offline. Finally, its chineseborn author, ha jin whose seven previous works of fiction have all been set abroad, seems positively pleased and proud to be here. Analysis on the novel, waiting by ha jin essay example. It is based on a true story that jin heard from his wife when they were visiting her family at an army hospital in china. Free book waiting by ha jin find tablet pocket ipad offline how download direct link. Ha jin left his native china in 1985 to attend brandeis university. So the years tick on, bringing lin and manna gradually closer to their happiness. His notable novels included waiting 2000 and war trash 2004. Ha jin has established himself as one of the great sturdy realists still writing in a postmodern age. About waiting in waiting, ha jin portrays the life of lin kong, a dedicated doctor torn by his love for two women.
Waiting is a 1999 novel by chineseamerican author ha jin which won the national book award that year. But waiting has its priceand in the end it becomes clear that its been a high one. She wished her husband could have an affair with another woman. Starredcrossed lovers are the meat of tragedy the world over, and when political upheaval is thrown into the same pot, youre almost guaranteed a pretty substantial stew. Ha jin draws on his intimate knowledge of contemporary china to create a novel of unexpected richness and feeling. How are the peasants in waiting represented, and how are they different from those who are more educated and ambitious. Ha jin was born in 1956 in liaoning, china where he spent his childhood during the cultural revolution. Analysis on the novel, waiting by ha jin essay sample. Much of this book is given up to what happens while its characters are waiting. Ha jin s work waiting is the story of the central characters quest to fill fulfilled by love. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
In waiting, ha jin uses his knowledge of contemporary chinese culture to pen a narrative as timely. Like a fairy tale, ha jin s masterful novel of love and politics begins with a formulaand like a fairy tale, waiting uses its slight, deceptively simple framework to. He grew up during the cultural revolution, served in the army, and earned both his ba and ma at chinese institutions before arriving in the us on a student visa to pursue a phd in. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. If there is a sparknotes, shmoop, or cliff notes guide, we will have it listed here. Immigrant struggles to find meaning in a free life. Waiting by ha jin dan schneider late in ha jin s 1999 national book award winning politically correct novel waiting the main character doctor lin kong bemoans the fact that he is a superfluous man. At the hospital was an army doctor who had waited eighteen years to get a divorce so he could marry his longtime friend, a nurse. Waiting by ha jin part 1, chapter 1 summary and analysis. In waiting, penhemingway awardwinning author ha jin draws on his intimate knowledge of contemporary china to create a novel of unexpected richness and feeling. Ha jin profoundly understands the conflict between the individual and society, between the timeless universality of the human heart and constantly shifting politics of the.
This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of waiting by ha jin. Analysis of ha jins waiting essay example topics and. Ha jin was born in a military family in china in 1950s. The main characters of this fiction, cultural story are. I found this novel very enticing because it showed the fundamentals of forced marriage in the 195. Ha jin, chinese american writer who used plain, unadorned english prose to explore the tension between the individual and the family, the modern and the traditional, and personal feelings and duty.
He became a member of the peoples liberation army at the age of fourteen. Zhivago about a married army doctor who falls in love with a nurse during the cultural revolution, by chinese exile ha jin in the pond, 1998, etc. He is the author of eight novels, four story collections, a book of essays, and six books of poetry. Ha jin was born xuefei jin in liaoning province, china. Xuefei pronounced shufay jin, who writes under the pen name ha jin, is a courtly and softspoken man who punctuates stories like this one with a quick, apologetic laugh a laugh that says. Waiting is a story of love in limbo and the lives it leaves on hold as lin kong, a doctor in the chinese army, battles cultural forces and his own uncertain heart in a quest for loves fulfillment. Ha jin profoundly understands the conflict between the individual and society, between the timeless universality of the human heart and constantly shifting. Every summer lin kong returned to goose village to divorce his wife, shuyu.
Apr 07, 2020 a graduate of the creative writing program, ha jin returned in september of 2002 as a full professor. Ha jin profoundly understands the conflict between the individual and society, between the timeless universality of the. While changs work was translated, ha jin is a professor of english at boston university, so this work was written in. Feb 17, 2020 ha jin, chinese american writer who used plain, unadorned english prose to explore the tension between the individual and the family, the modern and the traditional, and personal feelings and duty. The novel opens in the modern day with uma, middleaged and still unmarried, at home in india in the summer, taking orders from mama and papa, or mamapapa, as she thinks of them. Not only is manna wu waiting for lin kong to get permission to divorce his first wife, but the people of china. When he was fourteen, he joined and served the peoples liberation army for six years. Waiting by ha jin is the story of lin kong and the dilemma of his love for two women. Ha jin s writing cv might reasonably leave any warmblooded author nearnauseous. A deceptively simple tale, written with extraordinary precision and grace. Waiting summary and analysis like sparknotes free book. Nov 29, 2010 video project for prize winners course at tsu.
With money you can hire the devil to grind grain and cook. This recapitulates the fact that the tale, itself, is superfluous. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading waiting vintage international. If there is a waiting sparknotes, shmoop guide, or. Free download or read online waiting pdf epub book. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 310 pages and is available in paperback format. Born in china in 1956, xuefei jin ha jin is his pen name was a teenager when china entered the cultural revolution. Waiting is a good title for ha jin s novel because it has multiple associations. This study guide consists of approximately 52 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and. He grew up during the cultural revolution, served in the army, and earned both his ba and ma at chinese institutions before arriving in the us on a student visa to pursue a phd in english at brandeis university. Ha jin s book could hardly be less theatrical, yet were immediately engaged by its narrative structure, by its wry humor and by the subtle, startling shifts it produces in our understanding of the characters and their situation. Saboteur study guide contains a biography of ha jin, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. When ha jin came to america in 1985 to become a graduate student at brandeis university, he and his wife left their twoyearold son in their native china.
Waiting summary and analysis like sparknotes free book notes. Waiting 1999 is a novel written in english by ha jin, a chinese author who as of 2006 was teaching creative writing at boston university in boston, massachusetts. Waiting vintage international kindle edition by jin, ha. The aforementioned elements will be evaluated by assessing them in the light of his novel waiting.
1086 193 1292 835 975 650 716 1340 1132 1381 943 336 195 1533 930 62 1402 1350 1417 757 264 1002 295 1385 921 755 10 1446 212 591 1372 582 1540 547 1067 1633 193 845 1141 1404 1105 990 1025 1418 321 1207 56 110 106